How to Get your Teen to Eat Healthy

Making sure that your teen eats a balanced diet every day is one of the biggest challenges parents face. With teen health problems, eating disorders, and obesity on the rise, it’s important that every parent knows what to do (and not do) to encourage healthy eating habits in their teen.

Lead by example

Most parents genuinely want their children to do better and accomplish more than they did when they were younger, and accomplishing good health is no exception. While you’ll always have good intentions for your child, the best way to show him or her that eating healthy should be a priority is to lead by example. If eating a balanced diet is common in your household, it won’t be difficult for your teen to eat the right things when he or she is not around you. And, when your teen knows the benefits, internal and external, of eating a balanced diet, it will help him or her to make the independent choice to eat healthy no matter what environment they find themselves in. Letting your teen prepare the meals in the house every once in a while will also give him or her an idea of how easy it can be to make meals that are both tasty and nutritious.

Be encouraging

Your teen may have the desire to eat healthy on their own, without lectures from you, and if so, be grateful. However, if your teen’s eating choices don’t exactly match those of the family, it’s still important that you’re supportive. For instance, if your teen wants to become a vegetarian and is the only one in the family practicing this, do a little research on vegetarianism to find out which meals to prepare that will give your child the best nutritional benefits. And, don’t be afraid to talk about body issues and eating disorders with your teen. Let your son or daughter know that they can be attractive and ‘good enough’ by keeping themselves healthy, and not following fad diets that may not work or becoming self-conscious about weight. Whether or not your teen will admit it, he or she still needs the stability of a loving parent to let them know that they don’t have to be like everyone else to be accepted. Eating healthy is just one way that teens begins to develop positive habits for their adult life, and you can help by being encouraging and setting a good example.